1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to ski equipment in general and more precisely to a support seat attachable to a large single ski. Although the invention is designed primarily for handicapped people, it can also be used by the general public.
2. Description of the Past Art:
People who enjoy water sports but are paraplegics are not able to participate in water skiing due to their physical limitations and the availability of suitable equipment. Attempts to provide water ski equipment useful for the paraplegic have been tried with some limited successes. There is very little suitable water skiing equipment available for the person with limited mobility of their lower extremities.
In a past art patent search conducted to examine water ski devices safely useful for paraplegics, no ski devices examined appeared easily applicable to a person having partial or complete loss of lower extremity mobility. The Monreal device, Pat. No. 4,629,434, dated Dec., 16, 1986, discloses a widened knee board with attached seat and knee and foot bracing. The seat could not be used by a paraplegic since bracing by the legs would be required to support the body. Even in a squatting position, some strength would be required in the legs to merely maintain the kneeling position and support the upper body. The Monreal device also requires some mobility of the lower legs or hip area for maneuvering the board while skiing. Unless the handicapped user had help, he would have extreme difficulty in even getting on the device in the first place.
The Jackson device, Pat. No. 3,145,399, dated Aug. 25, 1964, describes a water ski/toboggan device which may be used by a "semi-paralyzed or otherwise handicapped person". The seat disclosed in the Jackson device however, does not provide any means for side support. It appears that a handicapped person getting on the device would probably require assistance.
The remaining past art devices examined were indicative of the art, and comprised a single enlarged water ski with attached seat, some with handles or steering wheels. All seats disclosed in these devices fail to provide any means of side bracing or support to secure a paraplegic in a stable lateral position. Being unsecured to the seat or ski also makes maneuverability difficult, as independent movement of the rider will more than likely cause an imbalance and a fall. The design of the past art seats encourage an upright position of the rider which requires the use of the legs to maintain that position. The higher the placement of the center of body weight above the surface of the ski also tends to create an imbalance and an increased tendency to overturn. This would prove only to aggravate the paraplegics already compromised situation of poor balance. As with the Monreal and the Jackson device, the handicapped user would require a great deal of assistance to use each of the past art devices. There would also be a tendency due to the upright position of the seated rider to be pulled forward off the seat during take off. Applying straps to the seats would provide a potential danger from drowning should the rider and ski overturn.